


In Which Matchmaker Stars are Very Important

by DoctorTrekLock



Series: AU-gust 2020 [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, M/M, Matchmaker AU, Soulmate AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:33:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25790635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoctorTrekLock/pseuds/DoctorTrekLock
Summary: Near as anyone could tell, the matchmaker stars didn’t exist to tell you who your best friend was, but more whotheirromantic soulmate was. It was a weird concept, but the mystic mumbo-jumbo history of them seemed to indicate it was a way of tightening all sorts of social bonds.Meeting Natasha had been obvious. After burning through half a dozen safehouses, twice as many aliases, and half of Budapest, finding the starburst on the back of his left wrist had seemed a forgone conclusion. She’d had one too, which had settled it.
Relationships: Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton/Phil Coulson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov, Phil Coulson & Nick Fury
Series: AU-gust 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1870924
Comments: 9
Kudos: 41





	In Which Matchmaker Stars are Very Important

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted August 3, 2020 on [Tumblr](https://doctortreklock.tumblr.com/post/625467889967923200/au-gust-3-soulmates-au)

They were called “matchmaker stars.” They appeared when you met someone close to you. Not a romantic partner, but a sort of platonic soulmate. Usually a sibling, or someone as good as.

Near as anyone could tell, they didn’t exist to tell you who your best friend was, but more who _their_ romantic soulmate was. It was a weird concept, but the mystic mumbo-jumbo history of them seemed to indicate it was a way of tightening all sorts of social bonds.

Clint hadn’t had one for a long time. Which had seemed wrong at the time - who would ever be closer to him than Barney, who had lived through the same drunken beatings as he had? - but seemed obvious in retrospect. Being left bleeding in an alleyway didn’t exactly scream “brothers for life.”

Meeting Natasha, though. After burning through half a dozen safehouses, twice as many aliases, and half of Budapest, finding the starburst on the back of his left wrist had seemed a forgone conclusion. She’d had one too, which had settled it. When he was recruited into SHIELD, she had come right along with him.

The thing about the stars, though, was that they were unique. The one on Clint’s wrist was narrow and angular, with a thin circle around it to soften the shape. The one decorating Natasha’s right forearm was large and looping, with a delicate lace pattern inside the star’s outline. Clint caught himself staring at it a lot, wondering who could have inspired the same shape on their friend’s arm.

Clint kept a sharp eye out for Natasha’s star. He knew she could handle herself - and probably earn the Black Widow moniker if it came to it - but he was protective of the spiky star on his wrist and wanted to make sure the person who matched it was good enough for his sister.

Natasha scoffed at the idea of soulmates, but Clint noticed that she took special care to catch a glimpse of the forearms of everyone they met. She might not want one herself, but the idea that she was keeping an eye out for his soulmate warmed him.

She found his soulmate on accident. A surprise assault on the New York headquarters led to close-quarters combat in the Director’s office. Clint, Natasha, Fury, and Coulson quickly dispatched the intruders with extreme prejudice (because of course they did). That’s when Fury discovered that one of the knives the assassins had been wielding had sliced the sleeve of his leather trenchcoat.

When he pulled it off, the star was there. Clint’s star, in stark white against the dark skin of Fury’s right forearm. Natasha reached out and grabbed him, and Clint was sure the only thing that stopped her from losing a couple fingers was when she tore off the sleeve of her own suit to show Clint’s star.

If his heart hadn’t been in his throat, he’s sure he’d have found it comical, the way Natasha and Fury both looked up at the same time, unerringly finding Clint and Coulson in the room.

As it was, the only thing he really registered was the look of surprise and hope on Coulson’s–-Phil’s face the instant before Clint kissed him.

So yeah. Matchmaker stars were awesome.

–

It takes a long time, but Clint does eventually find the match to Natasha’s star. It’s on Steve’s wrist of all places, and makes Steve look very sad for a couple minutes, before he seems to make a connection or six.

Then there’s a whole _thing_ about Russia and HYDRA and SHIELD and assassins and brainwashing and long story short: there are a lot of firefights, a couple car chases, several million dollars of property damage, and a long stint in SHIELD-sponsored rehab, but eventually Natasha and Bucky are very happy together.

Clint’s not sure what they get up to, aside from drinking vodka and making snide quips in Russian about American sports, but he doesn’t need to know. He’s got Phil and Natasha’s got Bucky and matchmaker stars rule.


End file.
